Nov 20 2009
Two new Presidents, two huge problems
Yesterday we heard from President Karzai in Afghanistan. The man whose own election was dogged by allegations of ballot rigging duly pledged himself to clean up Afghan politics as the US wished him to do. He went on to state that he wanted foreign troops to remain for a further five years, during which time they would train and support the Afghan security forces as they gradually took over the task of policing the country.
The good news in this is the implied change of policy for the Western allies. It seems to mean an end to any idea that western troops can fight their way across the whole of Afghanistan and garrison it against the insurgents. It still leaves open the issue of whether this new central government in Afghanistan can gain enough popular support to create a unified state in a country renowned for its tribal and local loyalties. The West should insist on a tighter timetable for their withdrawal, and should want a stronger political strategy to try to find a way of governing Afghanistan locally as well as centrally that will keep the terrorists out. Keeping foreign troops in Afghanistan in fighting roles will not speed the end of the insurgency, as the last eight years has demonstrated.
Meanwhile, we are now told that a Mr Van Rompuy is to be President of the EU and a Baroness Ashton to be the first EU foreign Minister. We, the electorate paying their salaries, did not even know Lady Ashton was a candidate. We had no chance to cross examine Mr Van Rompuy on his shrill federalism. It is a rare sign of political skill by the EU over this whole ghastly Lisbon process that they are underselling these people and these roles, realising how incensed the UK – and many Eurosceptics elsewhere in Europe – are about this whole development. The words coming out of Brussels tried to play it all down, saying Mr Van Rompuy will be a chairman and administrator, not a proper President.
However, at the news conference they could not keep it up when there were questions. The answer to who should the USA ring when it wants to ring Europe was answered by saying that they should ring Lady Ashton, the “EU’s foreign Minister”. So there we have it. The federalists rule. They know their coup was both undemocratic and unpopular. They may go gently at the beginning. However, choosing unknowns will not prevent them soon becoming all too well known. The intention is to move forward the project of a European superstate. This is an important part of the architecture. It means a lot of trouble ahead. Let us hope the German and French governments get worried about their monstrous creation. The UK certainly will be, as most of us wanted to prevent the whole thing in the first place.
26 Responses to “Two new Presidents, two huge problems”
John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
It seems strange that there is so much action in Afghanistan to introduce democracy, but no attempt at all to try democracy within Europe.
Mr Brown obviously doesn’t do irony.
I believe President Karsai about dealing with corruption in much the same way as I believe Mr Brown about dealing with the budgetary deficit.
Whenever I hear the name of the President of Afghanistan, I’m always reminded of Kenneth Williams’ character in “Carry On Up The Khyber”. At least that was fiction….
Captain Baines Reply:
November 20th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Of, course. The Khasi of Khalabar, I should have twigged. All we need is a “Sir Sydney Ruff-Diamond”, who could that be, Gordon? No he’s more like “Brother Belcher”. Pity really, Sir Sydney was so much better at running a war than Gordon.
It should be a fundamental human right that each person should have the democratic right to a vote with which to fiddle.
These Afghanistani chappies at least had a vote they could rig. We Europeans couldn’t even figure out how to vote let alone how to rig the result.
Or perhaps I’m missing the point?
Is it a mark of austerity that Europe just cuts out all the tedious and expensive voting process and forges ahead to the rigged result? Admitedly it’s cheaper.
Next I’m sure the EU will find a way to tax confusion, in which case I’m off to Australia. Or is it China?
And one more thing. Along with the Lisbon Constitution comes a change to the law whereby it is now illegal to publicly criticise the EU.
I pray for all our sakes that President Rompuy never has the need to visit Pompey or we’ll all be looking at 5 years in a Brussels slammer just for discussing the headlines.
Major Plonquer
(you couldn’t make it up)
“Most of us wanted to prevent the whole thing”
Not true John and you know it. May be true for Conservative Party members banging the eurosceptic drum. But the public at large? Not a chance.
What should those of us who oppose Lisbon now do?
Stuart Fairney Reply:
November 20th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Again, what should we now do if we oppose Lisbon, who should we vote for to end this nonsense?
I am a democrat, is there a democratic solution, even a democratic option here?
The new President and EU foreign minister role seem to be figureheads with no authority. If they had authority then the French and Germans would have made sure they had their man in place. So we end up with a British figurehead who is unelected and powerless whilst the other nations clean up the jobs with power…. thanks Gordon.
While agreeing with your analysis John, I wish you would come up with some convincing suggestions as to what we should do about it.
No one really believes that Cameron will succeed in repatriating powers and few believe he will try very hard. If he were determined about it he would offer a referendum on the lines of “Should the government use every available means to regain the powers passed the the European Union by means of the Lisbon Treaty without the referendum previoualy promised to the British people”. (Long winded, but there it is).
That would demonstrate to the electorate and to the EU that he was willing to play hard ball. Equally importantly, it would give him a democratic mandate from many more people than are likely to vote Conservative at the next election, even on the most optimistic forecast.
The Conservatives have a major credibility gap here, and many votes are going to slip through it.
The appointment of the federalist Herman van Rompuy as EU President is a Franco-German fait accompli. Until recently, President Sarcosy was openly promoting Tony Blair for the job but it was said that Angela Merkel had not made up her mind. Mrs Merkel came from the GDR where she learned the importance of being inscrutable. This whole selection process has been undemocratic and lacking in transparency.
I have read elsewhere, that Mr Rompuy recently gave a speech to the Bilderberg group and said the EU needed to raise more taxes to pay for the changes called for in the Lisbon Treaty such as the EU’s new Foreign Service. That’s all we need!
Roy Simpson Reply:
November 20th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
This new Foreign Service, if news reports are correct, will employ six thousand personnel. Does anyone have any idea how much this ridiculous development will cost.
Another farce Made In Europe!
Who are these two people? Ok, so the Belgian has held elected office. But Baroness Ashton is a Nu Labour apparatchik who has never held elected office in her life.
What the hell does she know about diplomacy? How many languages does she speak?
The reality of Europe is really very simple. The majority of European economies are drowning under the ever increasing weight of the public sector.
The private wealth creating part of society is being asphyxiated by the pen pushing horde and their gilt plated pensions. Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Portugal and the UK are being overwhelmed by their bureaucracies.
And then we have the additional unelected bureaucracy of Brussels. I see that Mrs Ashton will have a modest little team of 5000 to support her. More of our hard earned cash p****d against the wall.
The whole Europe project is a financial disaster. And who listens to what Europe says?
We don’t need this project. We should get the hell out of Europe and run our own show. Let me say I am not anti European. I live in Spain and have lived in France. I speak four languages. But I’m a pragmatist. I see the reality of the Brussels gravy train. If Europe is so important, why have our representatives elected two total non-entities?
I think the answer to that is simple and revealing. Blair would have outshone Sarkozy and Merkel. France and Germany were worried they would lose their overarching influence within the corridors of power. How pathetic that Sarkozy and Merkel have such brittle egos.
The stitch-up arranged during yet another tax payer funded dinner allows Sarkozy and Merkey to rule supreme. The rest of the world yawns and the European taxpayer picks up the tab for another army of bureaucrats.
The first thing Mr Cameron should do on gaining power is to call a referendum on Europe. The question is simple. Do we stay or do we go!
Stuart Fairney Reply:
November 20th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Not entirely true, Baroness Ashton (according to wikipedia anyway) was elected as national treasurer and subsequently as one of the vice-chairs of CND ~ you know that organisation that wanted to completely disarm before the peace loving Soviet Union when Reagan and Thatcher were saying they were an aggressive dictatorship.
I do not know if she was ever a “Greenham Common Woman” however.
Her CV makes for interesting reading and you can see for yourself just how suited she is to this job.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroness_Ashton_of_Upholland
james barr Reply:
November 20th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Have just read her CV. Yet another politician who has never had a proper job in her life. Pathetic.
alan jutson Reply:
November 20th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
James
Oh Dear.
But is it really any more than we should have expected.
Mike Stallard Reply:
November 20th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Pathetic, maybe, but judging by their Worships, the Lord and Lady Kinnoch of Maltravers Towers, Swansea, or His Majesty, the Baron Mandleson ……, she is due to be a lot richer than either you or I ever will be.
James Barr Reply:
November 20th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Alan, I guess not. With my experience of living in France and Spain, dealing with the madness of their bureacracy, seeing the rampant corruption and speaking French, Spanish and Portuguese I think I’ll submit my CV to Mrs Ashton. I must be worth at least 100,000€ plus a car, grace and favour mansion and first class return air fare to the Costas every weekend. Why do none of our politicians have the cojones to expose the EU for what it is? A giant talking shop full of over inflated egos and corruption. The Chinese and the Yanks will make polite noises about Mrs Ashton and the Belgian bloke; in the privacy of their countries they’ll be pissing themselves with laughter. It’s a complete farce. A farce acted out in our names but without our approval. (personal remark about Ashton removed-ed) I’ve had it. I’m off to Thailand.
You are right to highlight and contrast Afghanistan and the EU. What shear hypocrisy of Brown and other European leaders to talk about democracy and eliminating corruption in Afghanistan whilst they blithely install an unelected President and foreign minister in an organisation where the auditors have refused to sign off the accounts for years. We are told the myth that the President will have no real power but just be like a chairman. Funny how they have given him such a large salary to perform such a menial task. The truth is that there has in fact been a coup d’etat by the so-called European political elite – a more appropriate name would be the junta. Lies have been peddled to the British people since we joined the Common Market all those years ago. We have no hope that things will improve under a Cameron premiership as he declared yesterday that ” “I don’t want us to leave the EU because I don’t think it’s sensible and I don’t think it’s the right thing for Britain.”. What kind of negotiating position is that ? This EU juggernaut will trundle on to the ultimate destination of a European State or United States of Europe and any pretence of democracy will be extinguished completely.
alan jutson Reply:
November 20th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Brian
Yes its all so bloody depressing.
Who would have beleived that we would have gone this far backwards, since Mrs T thumped a few with her handbag and stood up for the UK, Not that even she with her determination could stop EU growth and influence marching ever onwards. But at least we got some money back.
Like you I do not think DC will even try and negotiate hard, they will just ignor him until he goes away, and he knows it.
Where there has been genuine success against the Taliban has been in US unmanned drones taking out Taliban leaders on both sides of the border. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125870344382857201.html
Brown referred to this in his recent speech.
This is Taliban geurilla tactics turned against them with the high-tech resources which are our strength. The engage in geurilla attacks striking from cover & we strike from the sky. They use remote controlled bombs run by mobile phone & we use remote controlled aircraft. Once again we see that war is a matter of using the highest available technology, something on which we awesomely out match them. The alternative of putting the maximum number of boots on the ground & taking casualties, which is where the bulk of effort is going, is something on which we are outmatched.
We do not need to occupy every village to deny it to the Taliban, let alone the late Osama & we should not. We shouldc fight to our strengths.
The two nonentities are the Commissioner’s choices, so the Commission rules just as intended. Meanwhile two more useless clowns collect ever more of our money. This whole EU fraud has to be stopped ASAP. It is anti democratic, non accountable and a corrupt cess pit for failed would be politicians. But no we hear, Cameron and Hague think the EU is wonderful, but “what about democracy and rule of law” we cry!
Answer came there non, “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” saith the men, but I disagree and am ashamed that for years I voted “conservative” only to be sold out by those who should have been trusted. “And these are honourable men”, oh yeah??????
AT LAST! History is useful!!!!
Anyway, when the Reformation happened, at first, England was utterly with Europe and the Catholics. (Remember Fid Def?) then, when we saw the opportunity, we left and became independent, on the fringes of Europe with little plucky Holland and North Germany. Out of that we got the Empire, sensible Kings (mainly) and a superb banking system.
When the French Revolution came, we were utterly in favour at first (“Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive”) then we turned against it. Out of that came a hotting up of the Industrial and the Agricultural revolution. And we became Top Nation.
Then the Germans became the leaders of Europe (twice really) including most of Russia. Guess what? We went along with them (remember appeasement or the Prussian movement in Edwardian times?) then, when we had to, we stood alone and survived. Our Ally USA then took over the baton of freedom.
Now we are, as usual, going along with Europe.
I await, with confidence, Europe’s big mistake, when we, again, will stand alone while the Europeans get on with it. Maybe the mistake will be choosing an unknown President from Sicily (Mafia) or Bulgaria/Serbia (where people don’t like Muslims that much really).
Everyone commenting on this blog complains that there is no clear way to express dissatisfaction with the EU which can have any influence on the future.
Might I remind them that our membership was procured by politicians of both major parties signing treaties which were clearly contrary to the English Constitution, since they ceded powers to foreign authory. Their actions were treasonous and therefore, unlawful.
In consequence, any subsequent law was also unlawful, since law cannot rest on an unlawful act.
No need to worry about whether the EU will let us leave. We have no obligation to follow EU law, nor any English law which is subsequent to treason.
Law is only effective if it is accepted. That’s why we have juries in criminal cases, who can reject a judge’s directions if they see that these are based on unfair legislation.
Don’t panic, Mr. Mainwaring! Just take no notice of unlawful commands.
Reply: It was also secured by the British public voting Yes by a large margin in the one referendum we did manage to obtain
John Wrake Reply:
November 21st, 2009 at 12:49 pm
The statement that it was secured by a large vote in favour in the3 one rewferendum falls down on two facts.
1. The referendum took place after the accession.
2. The vote in favour was secured by a massive government campaign in favour, based on the lie that our sovereignty was not affected. I speak as one who was deceived at the time.
This Tory will vote UKIP despite the ceaseless ‘If you do you’ll let Labour back in’.
Dave could walk the next election if he would show some steel and go for a referendum.
Do you really buy his current approach John?
Rompuy is not the “President of the EU”, or, as papers have called him, “President of Europe”. He is the President of the European Council – a position with no formal powers at all.